Gerbils, jirds and in fact all species on earth are designated a two-part Latin name to identify them. This system of classifying animals is known as 'binomial nomenclature'. These names are useful but also important too because they allow people around the world, no matter what language they speak, to write and communicate to others about any particular species. In theory, every name given is unique to that animal. The scientific name designated to each animal also give clues as to what their relationships are to other animals. The name of each species is given a generic name and also a specific name. The generic name tells us what genus they come from. Some genera only have one species but the vast majority of them have many.